THE HUMAN SPECIES. 291 



with its mysterious river, not far from various mines, 

 and particularly that of quicksilver, about Idria. 



Having been checked in a western progress, perhaps 

 by the still remaining salt marshes, already inter- 

 spersed with barren sea sands, in North Western Asia, 

 the Scythic Finns accumulated and grew to nations of 

 variously mixed character, not unlike those already 

 noticed in South Western Asia and Egypt ; but it was 

 ages later before they developed, and pushed on by 

 Lake Ladoga to the Baltic. Here, propelling the true 

 Hyperboreans, they became Finn-laps, and next, the 

 earlier Scandinavian inhabitants, at the same time that 

 they formed also the Esthonian, Biarmian, Prussian, and 

 other maritime people. On all these coasts, a certain affi- 

 nity with, or pressure by new hordes of colonists possess- 

 ed of Gomerian blood, or at least of Celto-Scythic tradi- 

 tions and practices, is indicated. It forms the Celtic 

 element in their composition; and from this source 

 they acquired, together with a portion of their dialects, 

 those habits of forming circles of stones and cromlechs, 

 which are still abundant in Norway, in some parts of 

 North Western Germany, and Friesland. They pos- 

 sessed traditions originating in the north as well as 



becomes empty and as rapidly fills again : where also the 

 mysterious Proteus Anguinus comes up from reservoirs of 

 everlasting night. The cavern, twelve miles in length, 13 

 adorned with stalactites, forming halls, corridors, recesses, 

 pillars, obelisks, hangings, and even forms of animals, so 

 strangely commixed, and of such enormous proportions, 

 that here the powers of enchantment were naturally be- 

 lieved to have held their court. 



